Announcing the winners of our fifth high school writing contest! While it’s been a challenging year for students everywhere, we had a great response to the contest, with 30 fiction and non-fiction entries from schools throughout ColumbiaCounty, NY and Berkshire County, MA. The contest was open to writers in grades 9 through 12, attending school or homeschooled.
The contest was judged by accomplished authors and publishing professionals, including Jamie Cat Callan, Alan Gelb, David Highfill, Daphne Kalotay, and Wendy Schmalz.
The three winners in each category received cash prizes ($250, $150, and $100 respectively) and the first-place winning story and essay are now available for reading here. This year, two talented freshmen took top honors!
Fiction/Short Story
First Place: Taibat Ahmed, Taconic High School freshman, The Boy In The Clouds
Second Place: Piper Nayowith, Hudson High School senior, Malnoia
Third Place: Malina Jackson, Berkshire Waldorf High School freshman, A Part of Something Bigger
Nonfiction/Essay or Memoir
First Place: Alyssa Mowris, Chatham High School freshman, If Walls Could Talk
Second Place: Anthony Smith, Germantown School senior, How to Properly Waste Your Summer
Third Place: Rida Farsanza, Hudson High School senior, Borsa
Sponsored by the Spencertown Academy Art Center and Hawthorne Valley
